Bell-crank lever for hand brakes for railway cars



I Dec. 5, .1939. HYLE 2,182,561

BELL-CRANK LEVER FOR HAND BRAKES FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed Aug. 9, 1937 2Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 5, 1939. HYLE 2,182,561

BELL-CRANK LEVER FOR HAND BRAKES FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed Aug. 9, 1937 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 5, 1939 PATENT OFFICE BELL-CRANK LEVER FORHAND BRAKE FOR RAILWAY CARS Jacob Alvin Hyle, Chicago, 11]., assignor toChampion Brake Corporation, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware 4Application August 9, 1937, Serial No. 158,222

' 4 Claims. (01. 74-513) This invention pertains to a novel and improvedtype of bell-crank lever adapted for any and all purposes for which itmay be employed, but is especially designed and utilized in con- 5nection with hand brake mechanismfor railway cars.

The main object of the invention is to provide a bell-crank leverpossessing an unusual amount of strength and preferably formed from anysuitable metal andv so constructed as to impart direct and intense powerto the brake when it shall have been properly connected at one endportion to mechanism leading to the hand wheel and at its lower portionto the brake rigging of a railway car for applying the brake shoes.

Another object of the invention is to so construct my improved simpletype of bell-crank lever that proper vibration back and forth isimparted thereto when properly secured to the 0 means for causing saidvibration; that it tends to prevent the chain or other parts of the mechanism to foul; that it imparts uniform power to the brake-shoe applyingmeans, and that it prevents the brake operating means disposed be- 5tween the bottom portion of the car and the housing near the top of thecar from battering contact with the end portion of the car body,

thus eliminating any and all damaging effects which frequently occurwhen the rolling stock is passing over rough portions of roadbed.

Further objects of the invention are to so construct my special type ofbell-crank lever that it provides the proper flexibility in increasingits power and quickly increasing the travel of the horizontalconnections when transferring the pull from vertical to horizontal; thatthese changes can be readily accomplished by changing the length orstarting location of the links;

that the lever secured to one end portion of the 40 link constitutes amovable arm; and that said bell-crank lever may be secured above thefloor of ahopper car, where it is above the end sill and in line withthe air cylinder.

The foregoing and such other objects as may appear from the ensuingdescription are attained by the construction formation, and associationof the several parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated inthe accompanying drawings and more particularly pointed out in theclaims appended hereto, it being understood that slight changesin theprecise shape, proportions and minor details of the construction may beresorted to without departing-from the spirit or sacrificing any of theadvantagesof the invention.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification itwill be seen that:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved bell-crank lever, showingit connected with car brake operating means, and to the chain con- 5nected with the brake applying means, and showing the position assumedby said lever and its connections when the brakes are off.

.Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the bell-crank lever, showingit pivotally connected 0 to a bracket secured beneath the body portionof a car at one end thereof, and indicating the position assumed by saidlever when the brake shoes have been applied.

Figure 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the bell-crank lever withallconnections thereto removed. Figure 4 is a front elevation of Fig. 3.

Figure 5 is an enlarged side elevation, showing a slightly modified formof lever, and 20 Figure 6 is a section taken in the plane of the dottedlines 6--6, Fig. 5, showing the lever broken away. i In the embodimentof my invention as illustrated it will be seen that the numeral l desig-5 nates one end portion of a car body broken away. 2 indicates the metalcover plate of the housing for protecting the braking mechanism disposedbetween the said cover plate and a rear plate 3. Suitably supportedwithin the housing is a main 0 operating shaft, to .the outer end ofwhich is fixedly secured a hand operating wheel 4. Within the housingissuitably supported an operating wheel or chain winding drum (not shown),said drum being connected with and operated by said 5 operating wheel 4.Numberal 5 designates a brake operating chain 'which is secured to thesaid chain winding drum at one end portion thereof and within thehousing. The other end of said chain is secured to the upper endportion40 of a rod 6. The lower end of said rod 6 is pivotally secured to oneend portion of a link member 1, the other end portion of link member 1being pivotally secured to one end portion of a bellcrank lever 8 forthe purpose hereinafter re- 45 ferred to. To the brake rigging, usuallydisposed beneath the floor of the car (not shown), is connected forproper manual operation thereof one end of a chain 9, the other end ofthe chain being con- 5 nected by a clevis member ID adjacent to theforward end portion of the bell-cranklever 8, said lever being pivotallysecured to a bracket ll fixedly-secured to thelcwer face of the end sillofa can The bell-crank lever is preferably of 55 member.

a somewhat triangular formation provided with a plurality ofstrengthening ribs l2. A plurality of openings are formed therethrough,an opening l3 formed through the hub portion l2 for 'the reception of apin for pivotally securing the lever B to the bracket I I, an opening l3for connecting a clevis H) or chain link direct to said lever, and anopening l3" for the reception of a pin l4 for securing the link member Ito the lever. Each link member I has a laterally and longitudinallyextended strengthening rib 1' formed thereon. At one end of the lowerportion of the lever is a peripheral trough-like grooved portion l5formed with a depressed shouldered portion I6, extended laterally beyondeach side ofthe lever. Integral with and forming a part of the lever isa stopm'ember H extended beyond each side face of said lever and servingby contact with the movable arm or link I to prevent the swingingmovement of the said member I, the tension member 6, and chain 5, underall conditions, from causing damage to the end portion of the car;disagreeable noises, and wear of the parts by heating and frictionalcontact with the end of the car.

It will be readily perceived that to the lower forward end portion ofthe-bell-crank .lever is pivotally secured the link member I, which linkis pivotally secured at its upper end by a suitable pinor bolt to thelower end of the tension rod When in operative position the plane link22 is in the plane of the bell of the next adjacent link plane of thebell-crank of the chain crank, while the plane is at right angles to thelever and the upper edge of said link 22 is adapted to engage the innerface of the shouldered portion. When the brake is released the bellcrank 8 swings down, the link 1 contacts with the member I] causing thelink I to assume the position shown in Fig. 1 to hold the tension rodmember and chain away from contact with the end of the car body for thepurpose hereinbefore referred to.

It will be obvious that the several parts and members herein recited maybe formed of any suitable or desirable dimensions, and of any materialpossessing the requisite strength and durability for the practicalpurposes for which they are intended to be employed.

The slightly modified form of bell-crank lever 23, such as is clearlyillustrated in Fig. 5 of the.

drawings, shows an outwardly extended formation 24'within which aportion of the end link 25 of chain 26 is suitably secured. The otherend link of said chain is secured to the brake rigging (not shown). Thelower end portion' 21 of lever 23 serving to guide the chain during itstake-up into the inverted trough-like portion 28. Fig. 6 shows across-sectional view of the extended portion 24 of the lever 23.

It will be obvious that since my novel and improved formation ofbell-crank lever is pivotally connected beneath the car body I at itsupper end portion; pivotally connected at its lower righthand portion toa link or movable arm member 1 which is pivotally connected at its upperend to a flexible connection leading to the hand power mechanism;connected at its lower portion to the chain 22 and the other end of thechain being secured to the brake rigging; when it is desired to applythe brake the turning of the hand wheel 4 immediately impart a vibratorymovement to the lever in an arc of a circle. therebyirnparting intensedirect power and a quick take-up by take-up that is available, and withless frictional wear on the flexible connector leading to the brakerigging, at the same time materially increasing the requisite power toproperly apply thebrake.

While .I have illustrated but a single link or movable arm member Isecured at one end to the bell-crank lever and its other end to thelowermost end portion of the tension rod 6, it will be understood that apair of links] may be utilized, one secured at each side of the leverand the tension rod respectively for the purpose of adding the desiredor required strength' and durability to the said connections.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. In combination with brake mechanism for railway cars, a bell-cranklever having a movable arm pivotally connected to one lower end portionthereof, an outwardly extended member adjacent said movable arm withinwhich is secured a chain link, means for connecting, the arm to avertically disposed tension member,

and a member forming an integral part of the lever and extended fromeach side of the body portion of the lever for limiting the movement ofsaid movable arm by contact therewith.

2. In a hand brake mechanism of the character described having a chainwinding mechanism w adapted to be fixed to the upper end .portiorr of acar, means for connecting said chain winding mechanism to the brakerigging comprising a bell crank, means for pivotally mounting said bellcrank on the lower rear end corner of the car, a flexible memberconnecting said bell crank with the brake rigging, means including achain depending from said winding mechanism, a tension rod carried bysaid chain, and link means pivoted tosaid bell crank, said bell crankhaving a stop member thereon engaging said link means between its endsand adapted when the bell crank is in lower position to hold thetensionrod outwardly free of the car end.

3. In a brake mechanism. for railway cars and the like, a bell crankhaving means whereby it may be pivotally suspended from the end sill ofa car, said bell crank having means to secure a brake rigging chainthereto, and having means for securing a tension member thereto forconnection to a winding means, said last named means comprising linkmeans pivoted to the bell crank, and a stop member on said bell crankfor engaging said link means and holding the end of said link meanswhich is Secured to the tension member laterally beyond the sill of thecar, said stop member being closer to the axis of the bell ,crank thanthe pivotal axis of said link means.

4. In a hand .brake for railway' cars, abbell' using only a portion ofthe.

point of attachment to the wind'

